Staff Stories - July 31, 2024

Celebrating Goodwin Living as a Top Employer for Interns

By Jacqueline Dua

It’s always nice to be recognized for a job well done, and this month we’re celebrating the recognition of a program that is close to our hearts – the Goodwin Living Internship Program.

On July 25, 2024, several organizations and state legislators gathered at the state capital in Richmond, Virginia to commemorate Virginia Intern Day. This event was also an occasion to celebrate the organizations honored as Top Employers for Interns. Earlier this year, Goodwin Living received the news that we were listed among the 2024 Top Employers for Interns by the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). This is the second year in a row that our internship program has received this honor.

“We’ve already had great responses from the interns who have gone through our program,” shared Zoe Marcuse, Goodwin Living People Engagement Manager and head of our internship program. “It’s extremely validating to also receive statewide recognition as a program that excels amongst other work-based learning programs.”

About the Goodwin Living Internship Program

The Goodwin Living internship program provides valuable experience to students who seek opportunities to explore what types of careers they might have. With this program, we seek to nurture the ambition and enthusiasm of the next generation and introduce them to the field of senior living and healthcare as an exciting industry where they can build fulfilling careers.

The program has grown quickly. In the program’s first year, we welcomed 17 interns. Today, we welcome around 35-45 interns annually, approximately 15% of whom are high-school students or recent graduates. And for the 2024 summer cohort, we saw 256 applicants step forward to express an interest in the 15 positions we offered. We take this as a sign of how competitive our program has become, and several applicants shared they became interested after reviewing the website and seeing what past interns had to say about their experiences.

The opportunities have not stopped there. Goodwin Living has hired 10 interns for full-time, part-time and temporary positions! Others share with us that they never knew senior living and healthcare offered so many possibilities and they are now considering careers in this field. As former Brain Health intern Belle Arze said in an article recapping our Summer 2022 internship experience, “An internship at Goodwin Living is a good opportunity for every major, because it is not exclusive to any one route of study. You can dip your toes into new experiences and find new motivations and something that inspires you within Goodwin Living.”

Including Interns in the Celebration

Two interns from our Summer 2024 cohort experienced the statewide celebration firsthand by attending the Virginia Intern Day event in Richmond with Zoe.

Hosai Rasuli came to Goodwin Living through our partnership with the Alexandria City Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). A recent graduate from Alexandria City High School, she has spent her internship with the life enrichment team at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads. “I wasn’t expecting to be selected for the ceremony out of 15 interns who are each amazing in their own ways,” she said. “I was really happy to have the chance to represent Goodwin Living as an intern because I really enjoy working here!”

Dhara Patel shared Hosai’s sense of honor in being selected to accompany Zoe to the event. A master’s student studying healthcare administration at The George Washington University (GWU), Dhara came to Goodwin Living through our partnership with the LeadingAge Summer Engagement Program. She has spent her internship with the healthcare administration team at The View Alexandria.

“I feel honored to have been selected to attend the ceremony recognizing Goodwin Living as one of the Top Employers for Interns for the second year in a row,” Dhara shared. “I was inspired by hearing from prominent speakers at the ceremony—such as Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Gee—who works in the Virginia state government. Networking with other interns from various industries and learning about their experiences was also a highlight for me.”

Making Connections

At the event, Zoe, Dhara and Hosai had the opportunity to meet representatives from other organizations across the state of Virginia that were also recognized as top employers for interns.

“I had the opportunity to speak with other interns from LeadingAge and had a lovely conversation with them,” said Dhara. “Additionally, I spoke with Amin Bhat from iQuasar, a company that connects interns with employers and helps to pay interns for their internships through funding from the Virginia government. This interaction provided me with valuable insights and a sense of excitement about the support systems in place for internships in Virginia.”

“One thing that really stood out to me was how welcoming everyone was,” said Hosai. “There were so many different organizations and interns of different ages there. Everyone was really interested to get to know other people.”

“I got to talk to several interns from other organizations,” she continued. “There were some organizations who do pretty much the same thing as Goodwin Living does, but it was interesting to share about the things that make our programs unique, too.”

What Makes the Goodwin Living Internship Experience Unique?

Goodwin Living has long provided clinical internship opportunities for nursing students and healthcare administrators in training. We also have a history of providing clinical opportunities for students of social work and art therapy. And we have a thriving Clinical Pastoral Education Program for those seeking chaplaincy training.

In 2022, Goodwin Living brought Zoe on board to develop an internship program to include internships for high school and college students in a variety of non-clinical settings—administration, marketing and communications, life enrichment, finance, brain health and human resources. We can offer these as paid internships thanks to the generosity of donors to the Goodwin Living Foundation.

One unique aspect of the Goodwin Living Internship Program is the opportunity for intergenerational experiences. Most interns interact regularly with residents of our senior living communities through their assignments, and all interns are connected with a mentor to support them throughout the program. Most mentors are residents of one of our three senior living communities, though a few have been members of our age-in-place program, Goodwin Living At Home.

Interns often remark that the mentoring experience really stands out for them.

“I talked about our mentors with the interns I met at the event,” said Hosai. “I learn a lot from my mentor. I’ve spent a lot of time with her hearing about her experiences: her career, her major in college and everything she’s done. It impacts how I think about my life and how I think of my career.”

“The most rewarding aspect of my internship has been my interactions with my resident mentor,” agreed Dhara. “Spending time with her, having meaningful conversations and receiving her advice has been incredibly fulfilling. Getting to know her on a personal level has left a lasting impression on me.”

The close relationships interns build with their resident mentors gives them a deeper understanding of our industry and shows the incredible sense of purpose that can be found within senior living and healthcare. And while we appreciate that it helps advance careers in the aging services, we also enjoy simply watching interns have the chance to benefit from intergenerational experiences.

“It is important that our interns be able to build a one-on-one relationship with someone from a different generation,” said Zoe. “I think that it’s special for the interns to find ways they relate to older adults and have things in common they might not expect. That is the best way to break stigmas surrounding aging and the field of senior living and healthcare.”

Takeaways from the Internship Experience

We expect interns at Goodwin Living to leave our internship program having developed both skills that will help them in their careers and a new perspective on working in senior living and healthcare.

“I didn’t expect my internship to be as fun and enjoyable as it is,” said Hosai. “I wasn’t expecting residents to be this welcoming and active and joyful. It’s changed my perspective about senior living and I’m already starting to think about moving here when I get older!”

“I see now that people don’t stop living their lives when they age; rather, they continue to thrive and engage in meaningful activities,” said Dhara. “And I’ve learned that working in senior living and healthcare is far from boring or routine. Each day brings new experiences and challenges, making the work engaging.”

Dhara and Hosai will also take with them all they learned from their experience attending the V-TOP celebration.

“It was a really fun experience for me to spend more time with Zoe and Dhara,” said Hosai. I also enjoyed meeting with the other interns and organizations who attended the event. It was amazing to get to talk about our internship experience at Goodwin Living and learn about their experiences and what they’re learning from their own internships.”

“What stuck out most to me were the personal stories shared by the speakers,” said Dhara. “I listened to them talk about their own internship journeys and how those experiences influenced their current careers.”

This second-time recognition of Goodwin Living as a Top Virginia Employer for Interns attests to our commitment to opening students to the idea of a fulfilling career in senior living and healthcare services. Whatever careers Dhara and Hosai pursue, we believe their experiences as interns at Goodwin Living will inspire them and support their journey ahead!

Pictured in cover image: from left to right – Hosai Rasuli, Zoe Marcuse and Dhara Patel

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Jacqueline Dua is a senior at James Madison University studying Health Service Administration, with a minor in General Business. Her career focus is on healthcare marketing and communications. She interned for the Goodwin Living Marketing & Communications team in both the Winter and Summer 2024 cohorts. During her internship, she assisted in drafting internal and external communications content and maintaining the Goodwin Living social media presence. At school, she is a senior account executive for Bluestone Communications, a student-run PR firm, and a writer for the student-run newspaper The Breeze. Outside of her career pursuits she has a diverse array of interests including axe throwing, hitting baseballs and aerial yoga.